MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, IT’S A RICH MAN’S WORLD

“All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.” Spike Milligan.
“Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.” Mother Theresa.

Can you imagine that pure Irishman, Spike Milligan, and the declared Saint, Mother Theresa of Calcutta to be living in the days of Jesus, in Palestine. With their mentality, according to these quotations, they would surely have been close followers of the Rabbi from Nazareth, Jesus Christ.

Like Jesus they would have gone against the grain, because that was not the Jewish mentality. That was a time when God was considered to be a friend of the rich. Well-being, luck, abundance of goods were considered signs of His blessing. On the other side, it was disgraceful to be poor. Because they thought that It was a result of laziness, idleness, and debauchery. “A little sleep, a little drowsiness, a little folding of the arms to rest, poverty will come” (Proverbs, 24:33-34). That was the heritage of the “Old Testament’’ mentality.

Then came the time when the Prophets and wise men of Israel thought … and taught otherwise. We find it the Book of Ecclesiasticus: “But the rich man who has had his fill cannot sleep”. Jesus was plain and straight in His words, He warned that greed for money and even honest earning are both great obstacle to enter into the Kingdom.

 Lazarus, sick and poor begged for some thrown away crumbs. Or, did he beg? It is not mentioned in the Gospel … but the rich man, sometimes called Dives (in Latin Dives means rich), knew about him and about his plight and needs. And yet! Let’s get into the picture. In those days cutlery did not exist, they used to eat with what we today call finger-food. But then they had bread for the sole purpose of wiping their mouth and hands.  No serviettes or paper napkins. When they were ready they used to throw away that piece of bread outside, not the litter the floor. And that, was what Lazarus ate. Now we can understand better the situation.

Lazarus always remains silent, in the shadow. He does not say even a word; he says absolutely nothing, does not move a finger nor makes a suggestion. When on earth he was always seated on the ground by the door of the rich, in heaven Lazarus is at the bosom of Abraham, and during the trip he is carried by angels. How things change! Whilst on earth Lazarus was dying for a piece of bread, Dives is NOW yearning, begging, imploring for a drop of water. How things change! It is worth noticing that Jesus gave a name to the poor man, he was called Lazarus which means ‘God helps’. Food for Thought. Things in heaven are reversed.

Injustice will reign till the end of this world, and the millionaire can live next to the miserable. God does not condemn the rich because they are wealthy, rather because they are conscious of the poverty around them … and still refuse to help. Goods are given to all, and those who have more must share with those who have less or have none so that there is equality. Worth remembering the words of St.Theresa of Calcutta. For the same reason Francis of Assisi wanted all those who joined him, if they were wealthy, to give up all their property and wealth, when joining the Order.

The only force capable of detaching the heart of the rich from his goods is God’s word.